Here's What Happened to the UW's Offensive Line Fab 5
The photo conjures up images of Abbey Road, of the Beatles crossing it in a single-file procession to create an album cover, only we'll call this one Montlake Boulevard.
Seated in the locker room following a road game, in different poses — head up, down or looking straight ahead, hands clasped and unclasped — are, in this order, one-time or current University of Washington offensive linemen Geirean Hatchett, Gaard Memmelaar and Myles Murao.
They were part of Huskies' Fab 5, a group of blockers who also included Roger Rosengarten and Samuel Peacock, and came in together in 2020 with huge credentials collectively and the hope of one day playing in a game all at once.
Now four years later, only Memmelaar, a 6-foot-4, 299-pound junior offensive guard from Caldwell, Idaho, remains on the roster and he's not readily available to Jedd Fisch's new UW coaching staff, still in recovery from a fall camp knee injury.
In an iconic photo, Geirean Hatchett, Gaard Memmelaar and Myles Murao are in various poses while captured in a postgame locker-room shot on the road.
UW
Rosengarten, the 6-foot-6, 300-pound junior from Highlands Ranch, Colorado, has passed up two seasons of eligibility to make himself available for the NFL draft after starting 28 consecutive Husky games at right tackle over the past two seasons and earning All-Pac-12 honorable-mention honors.
Hatchett, the 6-foot-4, 303-pound junior from Ferndale, Washington, transferred to Oklahoma over the past month to get a fresh start after starting four games at right guard for the Huskies this past season.
Murao, the 6-foot-3, 320-pound junior from Torrance, California, played this past year for San Diego State, starting eight games at right tackle and right guard for the Aztecs, and at one point he was backed up by current UW offensive tackle Drew Azzopardi.
Finally, Peacock, a 6-foot-6, 296-pound junior offensive tackle from Gig Harbor, Washington, left the program once the coaching change took place from Kalen DeBoer to Fisch after showing up for the College Football Playoff games wearing street clothes and presumably injured. He simply chose to graduate from the UW and move on.
HUSKIES' FAB 5 O-LINE
Rosengarten, Hatchett and Murao were some of the highest-ranking O-line recruits the Huskies have brought in over the past decade, with each receiving scholarship offers from many of the major powerhouse programs such as Ohio State, Oklahoma, Alabama, Notre Dame, Texas A&M, USC and Michigan.
Living up to the hype more than any in this O-line quintet, Rosengarten was the only one who has become a full-time UW starter. Recently, he impressed the NFL scouts and executives with his performance at the Reese's Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama, and has been projected to become a second- to middle-round draft selection.
Hatchett, while versatile enough to play all five positions up front as well as serve as a blocking tight end, is a power player who probably needed a more run-oriented team such as Oklahoma to better show off his football skills. He has that now. Primarily serving as a pass blocker did not seem to suit him.
Murao was injured early and often at the UW, bounced back and forth between guard and center and appeared in just four Husky games over three seasons. It wasn't clear whether, with his heavy knee braces, he had become damaged goods or simply wasn't as skilled as all of the recruiting analysts had suggested. However, he seemed to show he could play when given the opportunity at San Diego State and has two seasons of eligibility remaining.
Peacock, not as heavily recruited as the others, was committed to Oregon State when the Huskies convinced him to flip late in the process. While continually pushed to add weight, he got on the field for 10 UW games over the past two seasons as a back-up right tackle to Rosengarten.
That leaves Memmelaar, who grew up on a ranch some 25 miles out of Boise. He appeared in four games in 2022 and seemed to be positioning himself for a lot more playing time last fall when he tore up a knee and missed the entire season. In spring ball a year ago, Memmelaar had made himself noticeable by getting into multiple hot-tempered squabbles where he had to be separated from Husky defenders. He appeared ready to play.
He's all that remains now from a glorious bunch of offensive linemen. He's the only older guy among the currrent Husky candidates, but he'll be held out of contact drills when Fisch opens spring practice beginning on April 2 and aim for fall camp to resume his career with no limitations.
Memmelaar was once part of the Fab 5 and now he's a solo artist. Who knew?
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